Why I Do What I Do.....

I really don't know and it's at times like these that I wonder why myself. Okay, enough commiserating, it's not worth it. There is no rhyme or reason to one's behavior. Bury me once, you think you're clever, bury me again and this will be the final time, try it a third time and well if you think I'm that dumb, think again.

Here's Some New & not-so-new Offerings at Rebel Sound Records

USED CASSETTES
(only 1 of each unless noted)

KANSAS Leftoverture $1.99
MOTLEY CRUE $1.99
THE OUTFIELD Diamond Days $1.99
HELLOWEEN Walls of Jericho $1.99
ACE FREHLEY Frehley's Comet $1.99
DOKKEN Back For the Attack $1.99

USED CD's
(only 1 of each unless noted)

REDNEX Sex & Violins CD $4.99
GRATEFUL DEAD Built to Last CD $4.99
GRATEFUL DEAD American Beauty CD $4.99
GRATEFUL DEAD What A Strange Trip It's Been CD (double) $9.99
GRATEFUL DEAD aoxomoxoa CD $4.99
GRATEFUL DEAD Shakedown Street CD $4.99
GRATEFUL DEAD Skeletons From the Closet $4.99
GRATEFUL DEAD In the Dark CD $4.99
DAVID CROSBY If I Could Only Remember My Name CD $4.99
WILLIE NELSON Nite Life-Greatest Hits & Rare Tracks (1959-1971) $4.99
THE TRAGICALLY HIP Trouble at the Hen House CD $4.99
MY MORNING JACKET Evil Urges CD $4.99
THE WARRIORS Beyond the Noise CD $2.99
THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA s/t $2.99
M. WARD (of She and Him) Hold Time CD $4.99
REVEREND HORTON HEAT It's Martini Time CD $4.99
ALAN JACKSON Who I Am CD $2.99
SPACEHOG Resident Alien CD $4.99
BRAD PAISLEY Playlist CD $2.99
IRIS DEMENT My Life CD $4.99
THE LOST PATROL Songs About Running Away CD (ex-Refused) $4.99
STRAY FROM THE PATH Villains CD
THE NOW WTO COMBO Live-From the Battle in Seattle CD $4.99 (Jello Biafra, Krist Novoselic from Nirvana/Sweet 75, Kim Thayil from Soundgarden, Gina Mainwal from Sweet 75)
AMY WINEHOUSE Back to Black CD $4.99
JAMIE O'NEAL Shiver CD $2.99
JIMMY EAT WORLD Futures (double) $6.99
TOBY KEITH Boomtown CD $4.99
10,000 MANIACS Unplugged CD $4.99
PAM TILLIS Homeward Looking Angel $2.99
A GLOBAL THREAT Where the Sun Never Sets CD $4.99
BOBBY SWEET Love on the Border CD $4.99
AMERICAN DISTRESS s/t CD $4.99 (on Tent City/Skwert's label)
HEAD AUTOMATICA Decadence CD $4.99
INTRO5PECT Real Politik! CD $4.99
JOAN OF ARC The Gap CD $3.99
MINDI ABAIR Stars CD $3.99
NORAH JONES Not Too Late CD $4.99
INCENDIO Seduction CD $3.99
JAZZMASTERS (Paul Hardcastle) V CD $4.99
ACOUSTIC ALCHEMY This Way CD $3.99
DAVID BOSWEL I Like That CD $3.99
KYLE WOLVERTON Soul Groove CD $3.99
STEVE WINDWOOD Nine Lives CD $4.99
KENNY G. Rhythm & Romance CD $4.99
TONY BENNETT Sings the Ultimate Songbook CD $4.99 (2 copies)
THE APPLES IN STEREO Look Away +4 CD $2.99
THE APPLES IN STEREO The Discovery of A World Inside the Moone $4.99
THE DISPOSABLE HEROES OF HIPOCRACY Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury CD $4.99
POSTER CHILDREN Flower Power CD $4.99
SPENCER DAVIS Golden Hits CD $4.99
BUSTA RHYMES Extinction Level Event-The Final World Front CD $2.99
THE FORGOTTEN Out of Print CD $4.99
ROB LAURENS The Honey on the Mountain CD $4.99
JUNGLE BROTHERS Straight Out of the Jungle CD $2.99
THE PETER MALIC GROUP feat. NORAH JONES New York City CD $4.99
WAYLON JENNINGS Super Hits CD $4.99
SOUTHERN ROCK Hits CD$4.99 (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker, Foghat & more) $4.99
ALKALINE TRIO Crimson CD $4.99

NEW CD's
(only 1 of each unless noted)

jazz

GARAGE A TROIS Power Patriot CD $10.98
HUNGRY MARCH BAND Portable Soundtracks for Temporary Utopias CD $14.98 (NYC brass/avant jazz)
JACOB FRED JAZZ ODYSSEY (JFJO) Stay Gold CD $9.98 (played MassMOCA)
JACOB FRED JAZZ ODYSSEY (JFJO) One Day in Brooklyn CD $9.98 (played MassMOCA)
MOODSWING ORCHESTRA s/t CD $9.98 (featuring Ben Perowsky, Glenn Patscha, Markus Miller, Oren Bloedow, Marcus Rojas, Doug Wieselman, Steven Bernstein, Pamelia Kurstin, Jennifer Charles, Miho Hatori, Elyas Khan, Joan Wasser, Bebel Gilberto)
MARCO BENEVENTO Between the Needles and Nightfall CD $10.98 (playing MassMOCA)
MARCO BENEVENTO Me Not Me CD $10.98 (playing MassMOCA)
SURPRISE ME MR. DAVIS That Man Eats Morning For Breakfast CD $9.98

rock

BEWARE! THE OTHER HEAD OF SCIENCE Big American Godzilla Party CD $8.98 (sci-fi party punk from Albany) (2 copies)
GRIZZLY J BERRY The Day of the War on the Moose CD $7.98 (mid-west post-punk)
NO NO ZERO Rough Stuff CD $14.98 (ex-The Exploders from Toronto, grimy garage-punk)
REASON 837 Your Favorite Disaster CD $4.98 (most recent release from local favorites) (3 copies)

7" vinyl
(only 1 of each unless noted)

CARRIE NATIONS s/t 7" (previously unreleased material from this Georgia punk band, also released music on Plan-It-X Records) $5.48 (2 copies)
CUTE LEPERS No Escape b/w Black Market Lepers 00 7" (import, already out of print) $7.98
GO! Your Power Means Nothing 7" EP (10 tracks produced by Don Fury, classic NYHC from 1990 featuring Mike Bullshit, import) $8.48 (2 copies)
PAT TODD & THE RANKOUTSIDERS Don't Worry 'bout Me Baby b/w Idle Time 7" (new release from former lead singer of The Lazy Cowgirls) $5.48 (great psychotic garage/punk) (2 copies)
TAXI Dead Girl b/w Qui est in qui est out, Blue Lights $7.98 (garage/punk from Europe) (import, 3 tracks)
TAXI Who's to Blame b/w Down By Love 7" $5.48 (garage/punk from Europe)

LP's
(only 1 of each unless noted)

ALUMINUM KNOT EYE Trunk Lunker LP $11.98 (Roky Erikson meets the Reatards from Wisconsin, high energy madness includes a cover of Alice Cooper's "Is It My Body?") (2 copies)
BAD MACHINE Rip Your Heart LP $11.98 (punk w/monster guitars and riffage, similar to the Didjits, The Hellacopters and The Stooges)
BILL BONDSMEN Swallowed By the World LP $11.98 (raging punk) 2 copies
BLACK FLAG White Minority LP $15.98 (limited import, blistering live set from 1981 in Milwaukee WI, 21 tracks)
THE BLACK JETTS Bleed Me, Love LP $11.98
B-MOVIE RATS/THE HELLBENDERS Distilled split LP $11.98 (punk rock n' roll 6 tracks each) (2 copies)
BRIAN ENO The BBC Sessions LP $16.98 (limited import, silkscreened jacket 8 tracks)
CAT PARTY s/t LP $11.98 (fans of The Wipers, Rik L Rik, Joy Division and Christian Death take note!)
CORY CHASE Waiting On A Remedy LP $11.98 (ex-The Licks, solo guitar and harmonica) (2 copies)
THE CRAWLERS Level the Forest LP $11.98 (limited to 500, first pressing, similar to Poison Idea, Christ On A Crutch, from Portland OR) (2 copies)
THE CRYPTONES Teen Trash Vol. 1 LP $9.98 (import, 15 tracks of primitive rock n' roll from Marseille France)
THE DOUBLE NAUGHT SPYS Teen Trash Vol. 5 LP (import, 16 tracks of primitive rock n' roll from CT)
ESTROGEN HIGHS Tell It to Them LP $11.98 (rock n roll garage from New Haven CT) (2 copies)
F Mess You Up & You Are An E.P. LP $12.98 (limited to 333 copies, color vinyl, reissue of both F releases w/bonus tracks, original sleeve inserts and a ton of attitude, classic Reagan-era hardcore release)
FORBIDDEN TIGERS Magnetic Problems LP $11.98 (garage punk like Gun Club, The Saints, '68 Comeback and Jon Spencer) (2 copies)
GEISHA GIRLS s/t EP $11.98 (out of print color from 2003, ex-Street Trash/current Gestapo Khazi, dark no wave w/elements of The Cure, Joy Division, Mission of Burma and Wire)
GEISHA GIRLS Disappearing Act LP $11.98 (limited clear vinyl, ex-Street Trash/current Gestapo Khazi, dark no wave w/elements of The Cure, Joy Division, Mission of Burma and Wire) (2 copies)
HEARTBEEPS My Bones Are Tattooed LP $11.98 (ex-T.V. Killers similar to The Kids and The Pagans) (2 copies)
THE HELLBENDERS Pop Rock Suicide LP $11.98 (high energy garage/punk from LA)
HIGH BEAMS Hallucination LP $11.98 (punk!) (2 copies)
HUSKER DU Ultracore LP $15.98 (limited import, live set from 1982 in Tuscon AZ, 22 tracks)
JET BOYS Jet Party LP $15.98 (limited import, Japanese punk)
JET BOYS Teenage Thunder Revisited LP $15.98 (limited import, Japanese punk)
KITES/PRURIENT Load Split Series #4 LP $9.98 (high voltage noise and feedback)
THE KNOCKOUT PILLS s/t LP $11.98 (2 copies)
THE LUCKY PUNCH Kick Up A Hullabaloo LP $11.98
THE PLAGUE X Tapes 1976-1981 LP $12.98 (import, early UK punk)
THE PSYCHOVIOLETS Teen Trash Vol. 2 LP $9.98 (import, 10 tracks of primitive rock n' roll from Lawrence KS)
ROCKET REDUCERS s/t 12" $15.98 (import, Canadian punk similar to The Pagans, New Bomb Turks, Teengenerate) (2 copies)
ROCKET REDUCERS s/t LP $11.98 (Canadian punk similar to The Pagans, New Bomb Turks, Teengenerate)
THE SAFETY PINS/HELLBENDER split LP $11.98 (punk! 9 songs total) (2 copies)
THE SAFETY PINS Invite Us to Your Funeral LP $11.98 (snotty punk includes "Kill the Hippies", "Plastic Punks", title cut, "I'm Not Pretty" 13 tracks)
SANITY ASSASSINS Speed of Death LP $12.98 (import, classic New England punk)
TAXI Yu Tolk Tu Mach LP $11.98 (wild garage/punk from Europe) (2 copies)
THE TERMINALS Forget About Never LP $11.98 (wild punk rock n' roll/garage similar to the Oblivions and Demolition Doll Rods)
THROBBIN' URGES s/t LP $11.98 (high energy lo-fi punk similar to the Pagans, Teengenerate, Reatards) (2 copies)
THE UNSEEN The Anger and the Truth LP $8.98 (first release on BYO)
THE UNSEEN Explode LP $8.98 (final release on BYO before moving to Hellcat)
THE UNSEEN Lower Class Crucifixion LP $9.98 (13 tracks on Anti-Flag's label)
U.X.A. Illusions of Grandeur LP $10.98 (hard to find import, reissue of their Posh Boy debut, 10 tracks of classic punk from SF by way of LA)
WATERDOWN Never Kill the Boy on the First Date LP $11.98 (yellow vinyl, import, 2001 release no domestic US vinyl release from this German band combines hardcore, dark-metal and punk, comes with Victory Records poster)
THE WEAKLINGS Rock n' Roll Owes Me LP $11.98 (garage from Portland OR)
WELT Broke Down LP $10.98 (out of print on Dr. Dream Records produced by Stephen Egerton, Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore)
THE W.I.N.K.S Too Hot to Be This Cool LP $12.98 (import from Women in Night Kissing Satan, sleaze garage/punk, 13 tracks)
WKZ Echte Punx LP $12.98 (import reissue from this wild German punk band, originally released on the infamous Rock-o-Rama label)
YOUTH GONE MAD/BUTT TRUMPET split LP $5.98 (new recordings from each band including a rare 4-track recording of Tom Bone and Bianca!)
V/A-400 DAY HEADACHE LP $5.98 (out of print punk comp., Youth Gone Mad, Political Asylum, Blownapart Bastards, All You Can Eat, Pollution Circus, Rights Reserved, Inspector 12, Naked Angels, Animal Farm, 8 Bark, Tonka, Unherd, J Church, Gloo girls, Assfactor 4)
V/A-BRIDGE 9 SUMMER COMPILATION 2009 LP $9.98 (gray vinyl, limited, Strike Anywhere, Death Before Dishonour, Polar Bear Club, Ruiner, Dead Swans, Soul Control, Crime in Stereo, Paint it Black, Have Heart)
V/A-HARDCORE FROM THE EARLY DAYS LP $11.98 (color vinyl, gatefold sleeve, import limited to 500, early New England hardcore punk, Target Cells, White Pigs, Chronic Disorder)
V/A-LET'S GET RID OF LA LP $9.98 (out of print w/zine, punk/garage bands, The Starvations, Radio Vago, The Flash Express, Squab, The Pinkz, Neon King Kong, The Rolling Blackouts, The Checkers, The Orphans, The Alleged Gunmen, The Make-Out Party, The Fuse!, Miracle Chosuki, The Lipstick Pickups, Fast Forward)
V/A-PAERE PUNK LP $18.98 (import, limited edition, Danish punk studio compilation recorded in the late 1970's. Previously unavailable tracks from Lost Kids, Sods, Elektrochok, Slim, Kiche', Brats, Dream Police, No Knox)
V/A-VIVA LA VINYL#4 LP $11.98 (punk/garage bands w/zine Puffball, T.V. Killers, The Hellbenders, Bonecrusher, Snake Charmers, The Geriatrix, Hellride, Streetwalkin' Cheetahs, Valentine Killers, The Vultures, Gee Strings, Nikki Sudden of the Swell Maps, Flash Express, The Dialtones, Cock Spaniels)

COLLECTIBLE
(only 1 of each unless noted)

UNEARTH The Stings of Conscience LP $25.00 (out of print, rare, white vinyl on Knife or Death Records)

Almost mid-July 2010

There are many shows this month with a great cross-section of bands. I waiting to get word on a few big shows for the remainder of this year and for something really fun and awesome for 2011. I'll post pictures from the most recent slew of shows and I think I have to finish my Punk Rock Bowling report before I forget it all. There will be some 5th of July Parade pictures too with some commentary as well (of course).

July is going to prove an interesting month, aside from the store not doing so well and show attendance all but non-existent, there are other issue unrelated that are making my brain hang upside down. Hopefully it will be okay because I swear, it's been causing quite a bit of mental duress and I'm bad enough as it is, I don't need any help with that!

New STUFF in Stock!!!!

Rebel Sound Records just got a TON of new stuff! Here's some descriptions and photos!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pittsfield-MA/Rebel-Sound-Records/57180429460?ref=ts#!/album.php?aid=185373&id=57180429460&ref=mf

I (Heart) Pittsfield! So Fun, Yet, So Strange

Oh Pittsfield, you've gone and done it again! Wait, before I start to criticize you, which is really unnecessary, I will take the more intelligent route and actually think before I type. While compared to the big city of Los Angeles or even the not-so-big cities of Raleigh or Chapel Hill NC or even Northampton, you're lacking in a billion areas. But, believe it or not, the one area you actually excel in is giving the people something to do. This change hasn't happened overnight mind you and while 2010 is very different from 1980, I would say that since you can't go back in time (as much as I'd like to), 2010 is probably the most culturally active Pittsfield has been in decades.

Usually, the major complaint is that "there is nothing to do" and while this was partially true in the dark days of Pittsfield when General Electric was in the business of polluting and employing the general populace. Back then, there was really nothing that interesting to do. There was the Cinema Center, which when you think about it was like the Wal-Mart of movie theaters. It was the last stop before you reached hell. There was Thee Arcade, which was always fun if you wanted to potentially have a run in with some sketchy characters and of course, there was the old standby of cruising down North Street. Don't get me wrong, this was actually a ton of fun. When I sit out here on a night light this, a beautiful summer night, I can't help but to think back to days when hanging out down here was fun! This was the place we had to go on the weekends and I'm from Dalton, which makes it all the funnier. People would start at the car wash and once their rides were all clean, they'd head onto "up street". For the record, the entire strip was called "up street". Sure it was stupid, but it was fun and I'm sure it drove the cops nuts but at least they knew where everyone was. That's not to say it was full of bunch of troublemakers, it wasn't. I'm sure there were relationships started and finished "up street". The only thing on my mind during school on Friday night in the summer was going down to North Street. I couldn't wait to come home and get the hell out of my house. Whether it was to see a movie, go to a game (which was an excuse to get out of the house) or simply do nothing but drive around listening to music at ridiculously high volumes and screaming at passing cars like a moron, the major goal was to leave!

For years from what I am to understand, North Street went down the toilet and in all reality, most of Pittsfield went with it. Jobs moved and people followed. It was sad because after living many places in my life, I have come to really love this place. Sure, going away is good too and everyone should at least once but I felt that for some reason, this is where I belong.

What is truly strange about the progress of time and the mass exodus from Pittsfield is that in 2010 there are more entertainment options for everyone and not just the tourists or second homeowners. Those options are still here too, but for the locals, there literally are tons of things to do right in town regardless of what you are interested in. The key challenge is to price it within the locals' hourly waged budget. That ain't easy my friend.

There's at least four distinct scenes within happening on North Street and all are growing rapidly. We now have an active gallery scene, a growing food scene (except we're lacking a real Thai food restaurant and have at least 4 pizza shops within walking distance from each other), a growing music scene and a growing theater scene. This is not including the Beacon Cinema or the retailers (there are many new ones too)!

Yet, with all of these new options on North Street, every one of these thriving ventures is struggling somewhat with the reality of there being a lot less people in Pittsfield willing to come downtown to do anything or to spend money because it's much harder to come by expendable income when you're working your second job at 11pm. This is a problem. Also, North Street still can't shake the reputation it had during the late 1990's when people thought of it as a place to get mugged or buy crack. It looked ugly and there needed to be a change. There was and still is a change happening currently and it's awesome to see.

I've heard it from parents who, were probably cruising this same street when they were teenagers with not a care in the world, drop their kids off to a show here only to hear them mutter "Stay here, don't go outside at all!" Now, okay, sure, if this were say 2am and three doe-eyed teenagers were walking down any street in any city, something might happen criminal in nature, but I hardly think that would happen around 30 other kids here to see some bands. I found that statement to be somewhat funny, but pretty insulting at the same time. People who smoke go outside or they just go out to get some air or hang out for a little bit while still being at the show. I've never known any walk-by mugging to take place or a drive-by shooting either, but I think these people are under the impression Rebel Sound Records is a dark dismal joint similar to Thee Arcade from their youth. Well, it's not but this isn't about that how we're not Thee Arcade or how we're an alcohol-free venue. Yet, the protective power parent monitored things from the car and when more people did show up, he came in and grabbed the kids, forever embarrassing them and making himself look like Mr. Ass quite frankly.

If there was a point, it would be that while downtown Pittsfield faded away from our minds as a safe destination throughout the 1990's, it's actually becoming safe place once again and there's life back down here! People actually choose to live here, which is mind-boggling, yet they do it and still do it at this moment. I'm not going to mention everything by name, because I'll forgot some I'm sure, but on the entire street in summer its pretty cool to be able to walk around and see live music (cover bands, underground bands on tour and jazz groups to name a few), catch a theatrical production Off-Broadway caliber or even experimental productions, live comedy or even take a casual drumming class outside! I mean, really, this downtown corridor has completely done a 180 and quite impressive.

Now, the bad part, there always has to be one right? The bad part is the competition any of these ventures has with the internet (hello Facebook), video games, partying or television. The competition existed to some extent back in the pre-internet dark ages, but not to level of 2010. I couldn't think of anything I rather do than not sit at home and be around my family. I wanted to get the hell out of Dodge! Why anyone sits at home and thinks that's cool and something to do is completely illogical! Okay, sure hanging out on Facebook or My Space (so '07) or playing video games or watching television is completely awesome, but when you're not in school for almost 3 months, how is that awesome for 10-12 hours a day? I hate to say it, but that sucks. For years, the excuse was there's nothing to do. There are many things to do now, in your lifetime and yet what's chosen over doing something truly social is very strange.

Okay, so the Berkshire Mall somehow became the safe babysitter for the modern day power parents, but come on, are you that brainwashed against rebelling? Wandering aimlessly in the mall (not shopping) but going to Spencer's and Hot Topic has replaced imagination and that's pathetic. I remember the day of growing up (yes, I still remember) and had I opted to stay at home rather than do something fun, I would've probably jumped in front of a bus. At best, there is no rain in the mall and you can get some coffee, but for the most part, the mall is a complete joke. When it first opened (or attempted to, there was a time when Pittsfield fought the mall opening like we were fighting a way) there were literally tons of cool stores all over the place. It was pretty incredible. There were stores that sold actually records, two bookstores, eventually a solid comic book store, a flavored popcorn store, gourmet ice cream, Sbarro's....take my word for it, it was pretty cool in that respect. How many people were using the mall as a hangout? Zero. The mall was uncool and it still is. Instead of hanging out with a bunch of friends who all looked weird to the commoners, if any one of my friends showed up at the mall with even so much as a Ramones shirt or Chuck Taylor's, we'd get hassled by any number of idiots that hung out there. Okay, so we get it, you conquered the mall, big deal. Everyone looks like the poster child for Hot Topic. Cool.

So, where are all the kids downtown? Where are all the people downtown? I would've killed for a place and town this cool when I grew up!